Category: fuelpoverty

14 January 2019The Tenant Fees Bill has its third reading, a chance to ‘tidy up’ the bill and make changes, in the Lords on Tuesday 15 January.

Members are expected to discuss two amendments relating to interest payments owed by landlords or letting agents to enforcement authorities.Lords report stage: Tuesday 11 DecemberMembers discussed the acceptance of multiple holding deposits for the same property, the approval and designation of client money protection schemes and the requirement to belong to such a scheme.Lords committee stage day two: Tuesday 20 NovemberMembers discussed the early termination of tenancies and payments in respect of identity and immigration status checks.Report stage, a further chance to examine the bill and make changes, is scheduled for 5 December.Lords committee stage day one: Monday 5 NovemberThe first day of committee stage of this bill took place in Grand Committee, a room outside the Lords chamber. In Grand Committee, any member can take part and decisions on amendments can be made, but no votes can take place.Members discussed a range of subjects, including:the government’s duty to provide tenants with guidance on the effects of this billthe reimbursement of costs incurred by enforcement agencies in the exercise of their dutiesthe requirement of tenants to make payments to cover a landlord or agent’s loss due to a breach of the tenancy contractLords second reading: Wednesday 10 OctoberMembers discussed unfair letting fees, compensation payments to tenants and home share schemes.Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative), parliamentary under-secretary in the Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government, responded on behalf of the government.Tenant Fees Bill summaryThis bill will aim to:make renting fairer and more affordable for tenants by reducing the costs at the outset of a tenancyimprove transparency and competition in the private rental marketban letting fees paid by tenants in Englandimprove fairness, competition and affordability in the lettings sectorFurther informationImage: iStockphoto

07 January 2019The Financial Services (Implementation of Legislation) Bill will have its committee stage, the first chance for line-by-line scrutiny, in the Lords on Tuesday 8 January.

Members are expected to discuss a range of subjects, including:limiting the new regulations to ensure there are no changes in government policy other than to reflect the UK’s status as a non-EU memberensuring the competitiveness of UK financial markets is not affected by EU withdrawalrequiring HM Treasury to begin reporting on the use of its powers by October 2019 and every six months thereafter.Baroness McDonagh (Labour) has laid a motion against the debate, recommending that committee stage of the bill be postponed until after the scheduled date for the Lords committee stage of the Trade Bill has been published in the House of Lords Business Paper.Lords second reading: Tuesday 4 DecemberMembers discussed a range of issues raised by the bill, including restrictions within the EU (Withdrawal) Act 2018 on the use of delegated legislation, the accurate number of ‘in flight’ pieces of EU legislation and shortening the bill’s regulatory period following a ‘no deal’ scenario down from the current twelve-month proposal.Lord Bates (Conservative), minister of state in the Department for International Development, responded on behalf of the government.Financial Services (Implementation of Legislation) Bill summaryThis bill will aim to provide the government with powers to implement and make changes to ‘in flight’ files of EU financial services legislation. The powers will last for two years after UK withdrawal from the EU, in the event of a ‘no-deal’ scenario.‘In flight’ refers to pieces of EU legislation that:have been adopted by the EU but not yet enacted, and so would not apply under the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018are currently in negotiation and may be adopted up to two years following EU withdrawalFurther informationImage: iStockphoto

12 December 2018Members of the Lords, including a former lecturer in youth and community work at Sunderland Polytechnic and a former health education advisor for the Inner London Education Authority, will debate the challenges facing young people, in the House of Lords on Thursday 13 December.

This is a general debate. They normally take place on a Thursday in the chamber. During debates, members are able to put their experience to good use, discussing current issues and drawing the government’s attention to concerns.The debate was proposed by Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top (Labour), former lecturer in youth and community work at Sunderland Polytechnic.Members expected to take part include:Earl of Listowel (Crossbench), board member and trustee of the Child and Family Practice Charitable FoundationBaroness Massey of Darwen (Labour), former health education advisor for the Inner London Education AuthorityLord Norton of Louth (Conservative), ambassador for the Albert Kennedy Trust support organisation for homeless LGBT+ young peopleLord Storey (Liberal Democrat), former primary school head teacher and co-chair of the Liberal Democrat PPC on Education, Families and Young PeopleLord Agnew of Oulton (Conservative), parliamentary under-secretary in the Department for Education, will respond on behalf of the government.Further informationImage: iStockphoto

10 December 2018The Tenant Fees Bill has its report stage, a further chance to examine the bill and make changes, in the Lords on Tuesday 11 December.

Members are expected to discuss the transfer of deposits to a second landlord or agent, the approval and designation of client money protection schemes and the requirement to belong to such a scheme.Lords committee stage day two: Tuesday 20 NovemberMembers discussed the early termination of tenancies and payments in respect of identity and immigration status checks.Report stage, a further chance to examine the bill and make changes, is scheduled for 5 December.Lords committee stage day one: Monday 5 NovemberThe first day of committee stage of this bill took place in Grand Committee, a room outside the Lords chamber. In Grand Committee, any member can take part and decisions on amendments can be made, but no votes can take place.Members discussed a range of subjects, including:the government’s duty to provide tenants with guidance on the effects of this billthe reimbursement of costs incurred by enforcement agencies in the exercise of their dutiesthe requirement of tenants to make payments to cover a landlord or agent’s loss due to a breach of the tenancy contractLords second reading: Wednesday 10 OctoberMembers discussed unfair letting fees, compensation payments to tenants and home share schemes.Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative), parliamentary under-secretary in the Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government, responded on behalf of the government.Tenant Fees Bill summaryThis bill will aim to:make renting fairer and more affordable for tenants by reducing the costs at the outset of a tenancyimprove transparency and competition in the private rental marketban letting fees paid by tenants in Englandimprove fairness, competition and affordability in the lettings sectorFurther informationImage: iStockphoto